Rep. Joe Heck: Name Nevada Peak After Ronald Reagan

Nevada Republican Rep. Joe Heck has introduced a bill in the House to have a 3,952-foot peak named Mount Reagan after former President Ronald Reagan.

Heck’s legislation, introduced on Thursday on Reagan’s birthday, comes in support of a year-long attempt by the Ronald Reagan Legacy Project to have a summit of Frenchman Mountain in Nevada named for Regan, who was president from 1981-1989, according to The Hill.

Grover Grover Norquist, the project’s chairman and president of Americans for Tax Reform, said in a statement:

"Ronald Reagan led America forward to defeat the threats to our prosperity of high taxes, inflation, and recession at home and a surging Soviet Empire abroad. He left America stronger, freer, and safer than the day he became president. Adding his name to the short list of great American presidents who have mountains named after them is an honor richly deserved."

There are currently 12 former presidents who have mountains or peaks named after them in the United States.

Heck’s bill is the latest move to get a mountain named after Reagan, who was born in Illinois and was the governor of California for eight years.

Last year, a group called the Mount Reagan Project applied to Nevada state officials to rename one of the peaks of Frenchman Mountain after Reagan.

But then Democratic Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada introduced a bill to name the same peak Maude Frazier Mountain after the first woman lieutenant governor of the state.

According to The Hill, the national board that approves geographical names gave precedence to Titus’ application, while Heck’s legislation wants an entirely different peak on Frenchman Mountain to be named for the former president.

"I'm extremely happy we were able to find a compromise," said Chuck Muth, president of the Mount Reagan Project. "Congresswoman Titus can have her mountain, and we can have ours. I can't thank Rep. Heck enough for helping our effort to make this honor for President Reagan a reality in Nevada."

Heck’s legislation will now go to the House Natural Resources Committee for further examination.